hysore



2 sheets sheet 1.

(No Model.)

AVHYSORE. APPARATUS PGR TREATING TOBACCO.

Patented Apr. 5, 1898..

QQSSQS (No Modem 2 sheets-sheet 2.

A. V. HYSORE.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING TOBACCO.

No; 601,654. Patented Apr. 5,1898.

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IE" 'zv" l E N NX' \`li\if\g m13 u /6 w u /6 m' =7 y l l y 2- Z Z tion of the spreader.

, is treated preparatory to ordering.

Nrrnn STATES ATENT trice.

ALPI-IENAS V. HYSORE, OFRIOHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF. TWO-THIRDS TO S. P. MAYO AND W. J. WHITEHURST, OF SAME PLACE. K

APPARATUS FOR TREATING TOBACCO.-

SPECIFIGA'JTION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601,654, dated April 5, 1898.

i Application filed January 16, 1897. YSerial No. 619,449. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, ALrHENAs V. HYsoRE, of Richmond, in thecounty of Henrico and` State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Tobacco 5 vand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for treating tobacco, the object of the same being to provide asimple device for quickly and economically handling the tobacco and preparing for the drying and or# dering processes; and it consists in a tank or vat containing licorice or other preparation with which tobacco is treated before the process of drying and ordering, means .for prof gressively moving the tobacco from one end of the vat through the liquid therein and for agitating the tobacco i during its passage through the liquid, so as to thoroughly saturate the tobacco, means for elevating the tobacco and discharging the same onto devices for expressing the superfluous liquor, and

means for depositing the tobacco thus treated onto a feeder which deposits it in a loose condition directly onto the endless conveyer of av drying and ordering apparatus. v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aview in longitudinal section-of myimproved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a view of same on line a: a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a View in plan of the device for feeding the tobacco onto the endless conveyer of a drying and 'ordering machine, and Fig. 4 is a View in transverse sec- 1 represents a vat or tank, rectangularin shape and open at the top. This tank is to be filled or partly filled with a solution of licorice or other preparation with which tobacco This vat v is provided at its sides with the dead-blocks 2, which latter terminate below the top of the vat. Secured tothe top edges of the sides of the vat are the bearings 3, in which are mounted the double-crank shafts 4E and 5, the latter of which carries the sprocket-wheels 6 and ',7. These cranks are each provided at opposite sides and at points immediately over the dead-blocks 2 with the double diametrically opposite cranks 8, and mounted on and v depending fromthe cranks 8 are the pitmen 9 and 10;

The four pitmen 9 of the two crank-shafts 4 and5 are rigidly secured at their lower ends to the longitudinal bars 11, to the under side of which are 4secured the transverse vbars 12 and two of each series vot' rake-bars 13, carried thereby, while the pitmen 10 of the crank-shafts 4 and 5 are vrigidly secured at their lower ends to the longitudinal bars14. The bars 14 carry-the transverse bars 15, and to the under side of the latter are secured the rake-bars 16. D The rake-bars are constructed as shown in the drawings, their front ends projecting upwardly at an obtuse angle from the body or horizontal portion `of the rake, and each is provided with projecting teeth 17, the teeth on the upwardly-projecting ends of the bars having adownward inclination, so as to grasp the tobacco and carry it down under the horizontal portions of the bars 13 andl'. The bars 13 and 16 are arranged alternately, as shown, and as the bars of each series are rigidly attached to their respective transverse timbers, and as they are actuated by the diametrically-arranged cranks, as previously described, it follows that as one series of bars 12 are cut away, as shown at 19, so as to permit the teeth of rakes 13 to be elevated above the teeth of rakes 16. Withl this arrangement it will be seen that tobacco depositedin the vat at 20 falls in to the liquid therein. As it comes in contact with the rake-teeth it is forced downwardly by thel alternate Inove-` ments of the rake-bars and is then forced un IOC der the bars and carried along just above the bottom of the vat toward the discharge end of the latter.`

As the tobacco reaches the limit of rearward movement of the rakes 13 and 16 it comes in contact with the apron 2l and is deflected thereby upwardly until it becomes engaged by the teeth of rakes 22 and 23. The bars of these rakes 22 and 23 are arranged alternately, as previously described, the bars of rake 22 being secured to the transverse bars 24, while the bars of rake 23 are secured to the transverse bars 25, the transverse bars being cu't away, as previously explained, to permit of the necessary movements of the rakes. The transverse bars 24' are connected at their ends to the beams 26, while the bars 25 are connected to the beams 27, thus forming in effect two rigid frames which move simultaneously in opposite directions. These frames carrying the rakes are secured in a rearwardly and npwardly inclined position shown by the braces 28, which secure them to the longitudinal bars 29 and 30. These bars 29 and 30 are secured to pitmen 31, which latter are mounted on the double-crank shafts 32 and 33. These crank-shafts are constructed like the crankshafts 4 and 5, previously explained, and the bars 29 and 30 are arranged similar to the bars 11 and 14. Hence a more detailed description of them is' not considered necessary.

The tobacco, thoroughly saturated with the l preparation, is taken up by the rakes l22 and upward movement,thus separating it and permittin g the loose liquid thereon to drain back into the vat, and falls from the rakes onto the belt or endless conveyer 34. -This belt or conveyer 34 is made of rubber or other suitable material and is mounted on the two rolls 35 and 36, the former of which is of greater diameter than the latter and drives the latter by means of the belt 34. Roll 36 is adjustable toward and away from the roll 35 by means of the adjusting-screws 37. The roll 35 is mounted in the ho using 28, while the roll 36 is mounted in arms projecting horizontally from the housing in line with the roller 35. Located -above roll 35 and'mounted in adjustable bearings carried by the housing 38 is the roll 39. This roll 39 is located directly above roll 35 and can be moved toward and away from the endless belt 34 by the screws 40. The upper surface of the belt 34 has a downward inclination, so as to drain any of theliquid eX- pressed from the tobacco, and the belt is adapted to receive the tobacco as it leaves the rakes 22 and 23 and carry it up and under the roll 39. This passage of the tobacco between the rolls 35 and 39 expresses a large proportion of the liquid therefrom, and after it has passed 'through the rolls it drops onto the rakes 40 and 41, which are like the rakes 22 and 23 and are connected to the longitudinal bars 29 and 30 in a similar manner.

The rakes 40 41 22 23 and lthe housing 3S all have side flanges 42, which prevent the tobacco moving laterally over the sides of the apparatus.

The tobacco carried up by the rakes 40 and 41 is dropped onto the feeder, which consists of three parallel belts 42, 43, and 44, of unequal lengths. All the belts pass around the driving-roller 45, and theshorter one passes around roller 46, the intermediate belt 43 around roller 47, while the belt 44 passes around roller 48. These rollers 46, 47, and 48 are located with their long axes in the direction of the length of the endless conveyer 49 of a drying and ordering machine, so as to deposit the tobacco thereon practically over the surface of the conveyer.

While I prefer to use the apparatus herein described and claimed in connection with my improved drying and ordering apparatus disclosed in Letters Patent No. 585,759, granted to me July 6, 1897, still I do not confine myself to such use, but consider myself at liberty'to employ it in connection with any construction of drying and ordering machine. With this construction of feeder it will be seen that the tobacco is deposited on the conveyer of the ordering apparatus from the three belts, and to even up the tobacco and spread it in a thin layer over the conveyerbelt 49 I employ the evener-bar 50. This bar is mounted in the brackets 51, secured to the Wall 52 of the drying and ordering machine, and is provided on its lower face with pegs 53, which latter operate as the bar 50 is moved longitudinally to spread the tobacco over the conveyer 49.

The parts thus described are driven by gearwheel 53, which receives its power from any suitable source. This wheel meshes with the larger wheel 54, fast on the shaft or roll 35, which shaft carries a sprocket-wheel 55 and a crank 56. The crank is connected by pitman 57 with the evener-bar/'O and operates to reciprocate the latter,while sprocket-wheel 55 is connected by 4sprocket-chain 58 with sprocket-Wheel 6 on shaft 5. Sprocket-wheel 7 on shaft 5 is connected by sprocket-chain 59 on crank-shaft 37 ,while the driven pulley of the feeder-belts is driven by a sprocketchain passing around wheel 60 and a sprocketwheel on the shaft of roller 35. With this construction it will be seen that tobacco deposited in the vat 2 is thoroughly saturated with the preparation used in treating same and is automatically carried up and passed between rolls which express therefrom the eX- cess of liquor and is carried from them and deposited on a feeder which automatically feeds it onto the conveyer of a drying and ordering machine.

This apparatus saves several handlings of the tobacco, and consequently lessens the cost of preparing the tobacco for ordering, and in addition to this the tobacco is treated uniformly.

It is evident that numerous slight changes might be made in the general form and ar- IOO IIO

rangement of parts herein shown and described Without departing from the spi ritand scope of my invention, and hence I would have it understood that Ido not limit myself to the precise details of construction shown; but,

Having fully described my invention,Wha-t I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination-With a vat, and rotary crank-shafts, of longitudinal bars connected with these cranks and operated thereby, inclined beams secured to the longitudinal bars, transverse bars secured to alternate beams and each transverse bar provided with alternately-disposed rakes.

2. The combination With a vat, and means for conveying tobacco through the liquid in the vat, of a series of feeding-aprons onto which the tobacco is discharged, the said aprons being of different lengths, substantially as set forth. A

3. The combination with a vat and means for conveying tobacco `through the liquid in the vat, of a series of aprons for feeding the tobacco to the conveyer of a drying and orldering machine, and an evener for evening the tobacco after it has been deposited on the conveyer, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with avat and means for conveying tobacco through the kliquid therein, rolls for expressing the excess of liquid from the tobacco, of feedingaprons, means for taking the tobacco as it comes from the rolls and discharging it onto the feedingaprons and an evener for evening up the tobacco discharged from the feeding-aprons, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification inthe presence of two subscrib- 4o Witnesses:

M. A. WooDELL, A. D. CRUTCHFIELD. 

